With just three days left in 2020, the number of homicides and shootings in Cincinnati have already broken records, marking the city's deadliest year.So far, there have been at least 90 homicides and at least 484 shootings.Police and community leaders hope to reverse the trend in 2021.They said there are a number of factors leading to this outcome, including the pandemic, job loss and in some cases, a lack of even basic necessities.Community outreach advocates said it has been harder to address these needs from a distance.At one homicide scene in Cincinnati, neighbors echoed how exhausting and overwhelming violence has become along their streets.Yet the same heartbreak has been felt across the Queen City, as 484 shootings, with 85 of them deadly, shatter a struggling society in the face of the pandemic."Right now, they're on defense mode, and not only defense mode, survival mode, and that's what's happening right now on the streets," Pastor Peterson Mingo said.Mingo works with the Cincinnati Police God Squad on those very streets, trying to connect with the disconnected.He said a feeling of togetherness, of community, has been nearly muted by COVID-19."Because of the pandemic, a lot of that is gone, and now, people who basically could be talked down of basically doing the things that they were thinking about doing and not having that buffer, someone to come there and basically mediate the situation for them," Mingo said.City of Cincinnati data sheds light on homicides in past years.In 2017, there were 73 homicides.In 2018, there were 61 homicides.Last year, there were 74 homicides.In 2020, there's been a nearly 22% increase from 2019, with at least 90 homicides.As of Sunday, data we calculated shows Cincinnati outranks Chicago at 29.6 homicides per 100,000 people.Chicago has counted 772 homicides in the same time-frame, which equates to 28.66 homicides per 100,000 people.The city reported 475 homicides in mid-December 2019.Police said connecting with the community through gun violence outreach workers, as well as work by the Gun Crimes Task Force will be a big part of efforts to reduce violence in 2021.More than 1,400 illegal or stolen guns have been recovered this year compared to 1,057 guns in 2019, according to CPD.Mingo said while this increase in gun violence is not a uniquely Cincinnati issue, it is a cry for help."It's nationwide, and if it's nationwide, then there's a common problem," he said.Mingo said people are struggling to pay bills, feed their families and survive, and he fears for what the city may look like on the other side of the pandemic when assistance fades.He hopes to see a more connected 2021 to stop the violence.Cincinnati police said they also plan to strengthen partnerships with federal officials to help curb shootings.They said oftentimes, shootings are sparked by risky behaviors, gambling in the streets and drugs by a small number of people.

Video: Jim Cramer says wallstreetbets, Reddit has altered market psychologyThe meteoric rise in GameStop's stock, as traders congregating on Reddit and Discord take on short sellers and hedge funds, is hard to look away from. It's the closest thing Wall Street has to David vs. Goliath.An army of smaller-pocketed, optimistic investors threw dollars and buy orders at the stock of GameStop — in direct opposition to a group of wealthy investors who are counting on the stock price to plunge.What's happening: Shares of GameStop, a legacy company whose stores are often located in struggling malls, have soared dramatically over the past two sessions as day traders push the stock with growing fervor. Investors have been betting that GameStop's stock will fall. They “shorted” the stock, essentially thinking shares would tank. But such bets have been disastrous recently.Meanwhile, a cavalcade of smaller investors has been exhorting each other on the internet to keep the stock's momentum flying toward the moon. Many are pitching it as a battle of regular people versus hedge funds and big Wall Street firms.The stock, which closed out 2020 at $18.84 per share, finished the day at $76.79 after trading was halted multiple times due to volatility. At one point, it climbed to nearly $160, a record high.You read that correctly. GameStop, which is expected to lose money this year and next, has more than quadrupled in value in under a month because it's effectively become a meme stock. Since the beginning of 2020, it's jumped more than 1,100%, outpacing even Tesla's gains. Shares are up another 20% in premarket trading.Investors on social media had been arguing that GameStop was seriously undervalued and cheered earlier this month when the company added Chewy founder Ryan Cohen, who has been pushing a digital overhaul, to its board. Now, the focus is on momentum, as small investors hope the hype can help the stock keep rising.It's evident, however, that the saga has grown into much more than an argument over the future of a video game retailer, or the merits of different trading approaches. As no-fee apps like Robinhood democratize access to financial markets, some are reading it as a generational fight between the old and new guard of the investing world.Users on Reddit cheered when veteran short seller Citron Research said it would stop commenting on the stock, citing harassment from GameStop's backers. Melvin Capital Management, which bet against GameStop's rise, has had to accept an infusion of cash after suffering steep losses, the Wall Street Journal reports."As someone who started trading stocks in the late '90s in college, I would always remember watching when the small retail trading groups would get crushed by hedge funds and savvy short-sellers," Oanda analyst Edward Moya said in a note to clients this week. "What happened with GameStop's stock is a reminder of how times are changing."David certainly now has Goliath's attention."Starts opening r/WSB with my usual morning tabs," market strategist Michael Antonelli of R.W. Baird tweeted Monday, referring to the Reddit message board where much of the GameStop action has been coordinated.Traders on such platforms have been plugging other stocks with major results, too. BlackBerry shares, another fan favorite, are up more than 170% in 2021. They jumped 28% on Monday alone.Big picture: The wisdom of such trading decisions is certainly debatable. After all, it's near impossible to argue that GameStop's value has actually increased exponentially in a matter of weeks. Some gains are also attributable to a so-called "short squeeze," as those who bet against the stock rush to buy in so they can cover some of their losses.But once the GameStop dust settles, expect Wall Street's asset managers to watch where the retail trading hive mind wanders next. Clearly, it can have an impact.The Associated Press contributed.

Cincinnati police said there is an alarming rise in domestic violence-related killings.The latest being a pregnant mother and her unborn child in West Price Hill.Michelle McDonald's family said she was loving, happy and kind.They told WLWT they had no idea something so terrible was about to happen.That's why they hope victims will find help as soon as they can."I just feel so much pain that I just don't feel like it's going to ever going to end," said Michelle Sanchez, McDonald's mother.Sanchez cries for her 31-year-old daughter and her unborn baby granddaughter, Aaliyah.Cincinnati police said both are the latest victims of domestic violence murder.McDonald is remembered for her smile."Unfortunately, it's events like these that bring it to light more. So, now we've lost this beautiful woman and this child," Lt. Col. Lisa Davis said.Police have charged Antonio Wilcox, 37, with murder.Loved ones said he was dating McDonald and was the baby's father.McDonald leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter, who family members said witnessed the shooting.Cincinnati police recorded three domestic violence-related murders in 2018.They said there were just as many in 2019.Officials said in 2020, there were five domestic violence-related murders.So far in 2021, they have counted nine.Davis said the pandemic may have fueled a spike."The controlling, the manipulation, isolating you from your friends and family, those type of things. I think the lesson is whenever, as a family member, as a friend, you're seeing those things," she said. "I think it's OK to ask those tough questions and I think we all have to be that person because we care about them."Police said Wilcox has a violent history and should not have had a gun."We know a lot of bad guys get their guns through straw purchases, meaning, they'll get someone who can legally buy a gun and then they give that to the bad guy," Davis said.McDonald's family hopes her story could inspire victims to find help."Let them know they've got that one person they can come talk to and confide in when something like this is going on because it's happening in everybody's families," said Dorothea Young, McDonald's cousin.Police said this case is a reminder to never give up on the victims.They said it is important to remember to go at their pace and remind them that they have safety and support when they decide it is time to leave.Cincinnati police said domestic violence incidents typically only make up between 6% and 8% of homicides.This year, the number sits at 16%.They believe part of the problem is the number of guns available on the streets.Officials said so far, Cincinnati officers have recovered more than 800 guns.